Chapter 361: Chapter 200: Purple Light Flying Sword, Imperial City Sword Immortal

The Imperial City Inner Courtyard was heavily guarded.

Especially the protections around the academy, which were akin to the Emperor’s private chambers.

If Jiang Feng hadn’t become a cultivator with the power of the second-layer Qi Condensation, and considering the Emperor was away at the Mausoleum, he wouldn’t have had the courage to explore the academy.

He made his way to the top level.

All along.

The books on the top floor could only be accessed by a few princes and ministers or those who had achieved great feats, and every visit required reporting to the Emperor.

Intruders like Jiang Feng, who snuck in directly, were extremely rare.

"Hmm?"

"There’s a restriction?"

As soon as he approached the bookshelf, Jiang Feng sensed danger. He extended his spiritual sense, daring only to cover the top-level area, and detected a trap of restrictions.

The so-called restrictions were a manifestation of magical techniques and divine power, hidden in every corner, beyond the ordinary person’s ability to discern.

If not for Jiang Feng being a cultivator with a powerful spiritual sense, he would have triggered the restriction with a mere reach towards the bookshelf.

Under the cover of his spiritual sense.

The restrictions appeared like beams of infrared light, forming mysterious symbols that enveloped the top-level bookshelf.

"These are the methods of a cultivator. Indeed, within the Imperial City, there are powerful cultivators—is it the work of the Yun Gui Sect, or left by experts of the Divine Sect?"

Jiang Feng furrowed his brows.

He knew nothing about restrictions; outside, he could crush them with sheer force, but within the Inner Courtyard, he feared that triggering the restriction would cause a disturbance and alert the one who set it.

Was his trip to the academy in vain?

"If I leave now, it’ll be much harder to get in again later."

Jiang Feng understood the rarity of this opportunity.

He pondered deeply for a long time.

Then took out the Qinglong Cauldron.

"Why not use you to test it? If it doesn’t work, I’ll come back next time the Emperor leaves the city for a ritual."

Jiang Feng controlled the Qinglong Cauldron.

He let the Qinglong Cauldron touch the restrictions on the bookshelf.

While preparing to retreat at any moment.

Slowly, the Qinglong Cauldron approached the restrictions. Contrary to his expectations, there was no burst of multicolored light repelling the cauldron, nor did its spiritual power violently smash through them.

Instead, as the cauldron neared, the restriction talisman seemed to open a window, allowing Jiang Feng to reach in and take out the books inside.

Jiang Feng’s face lit up with joy.

He quickly grabbed a book and started flipping through it.

Finding a corner, he sat down.

Few could access the top level, especially today. As long as Jiang Feng remained silent, he wouldn’t be detected. With his spiritual sense as a watch, he could sense anyone approaching instantly.

He meticulously examined the contents.

Discovering that the books on the top floor were almost all complete cultivation and martial arts techniques.

However, not all were at the Celestial Extreme Level.

Most were Profound Level or Earth Level cultivation techniques.

The initial parts of these techniques were visible on the lower floors, but the complete versions were only on the top, a method used by the Emperor of the Great Tang to maintain control and rally loyalty.

To obtain the complete version, one must achieve merit step by step, reaching the top floor to finally see the complete martial arts techniques.

Jiang Feng was seeking cultivation techniques.

Due to limited time, he didn’t dwell on the mortal cultivation and martial arts. If a book wasn’t what he was looking for, he skimmed it and returned it to the shelf.

He used the Qinglong Cauldron to open the restrictions on the shelves, retrieving books one by one to examine.

Time passed gradually.

The night deepened.

The Emperor wouldn’t return from the Mausoleum until the next day.

Jiang Feng pressed on without rest.

Reading throughout the night.

Profound Level.

Earth Level.

Human Level.

Celestial Level.

He found these cultivation and martial arts techniques.

As the sky brightened and the Emperor would return by afternoon, Jiang Feng was on the brink of giving up.

Then he picked another book off the shelf.

Its cover bore the words "Flame Saber."

Jiang Feng glanced through it briefly before replacing it, recalling a martial arts TV show, "Eight Heavenly Dragons," from his past life, where Jiu Mozhi wielded the Flame Saber as his signature move.

He dismissed it as mortal martial arts.

"Hmm?"

But just as he put it back, Jiang Feng hesitated for a moment.

"Spiritual Power?"

He noticed the words "Spiritual Power" on the Flame Saber book.

So he took it down and flipped through it again.

"This... is a cultivation technique?"

Taking a closer look, Jiang Feng’s eyes widened as a particular line caught his sight; the fundamental force driving the Flame Saber was spiritual power.

If a technique required spiritual power, how could it be merely a mortal method?

Jiang Feng was ecstatic.

Holding the Flame Saber, he read it with great care.

As he delved deeper into its contents, he learned the Flame Saber had seven forms, each requiring arduous practice to master.

The more he read, the more excited he became.

This was the technique most suited to his magical powers, making the search worth the effort spent over day and night.

So he tucked the Flame Saber into his coat.

He was now sneaking books from the academy, rather than entering with an identity token to find compatible cultivation techniques and martial arts, where he’d have to hurry to memorize them and return them post-recording.

He used to have no choice but to follow that method.

Now doing so would waste time and increase risk. Sneaking out one book wouldn’t be easily noticed.

Even if the academy’s guardians found out later, capturing him wouldn’t be easy.

Thus, Jiang Feng continued looking through the shelves.

Hoping to find more useful books before the Emperor’s return to the city.

Gradually, the time crept towards noon.

Jiang Feng found another book in a corner that required spiritual power to activate the Wind Control technique. He was overjoyed and, after confirming it was a cultivation technique, resumed his exploration.